Three Days in New York
by Kristen3
Summary: When Niles Crane gets an invitation from his old friend, Maxwell, he finds himself asking Daphne along for company. Will some butting-in by a certain Nanny help bring these two together?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's** **Note**:Ever since I first started watching _Frasier_, I've wanted to do a story like this. But I never had any idea how to make it work, being that both shows have a character named Niles! But I finally did have an idea for it, and so here it is! Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for constantly encouraging me to do this, even though I know TN isn't really a show you watch! *Hugs* I hope this lives up to your expectations!

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><p>Niles knocked on his older brother's front door. He could hardly wait to tell his family the news. He couldn't even believe it himself. The door was opened by Frasier. "Hello, Niles. What brings you here?"<p>

"I have wonderful news," Niles replied. "Hello, Daphne," he added, when she entered the room.

"Evening, Dr. Crane," Daphne replied. "What's your big news?"

"I'm going on a trip. To New York," he said. Frasier, Martin and Daphne all stared at him in disbelief.

"What brought this on?" Frasier asked.

"You remember my friend, Maxwell?" Niles asked. "We met when I was at Cambridge. He's now a Broadway theater producer. Unfortunately, we lost touch around the time his young wife passed away. Left him with three children."

"My," Daphne said, moved by the story. "That poor man."

Niles' heart swelled at Daphne's compassion towards a man she'd never even met. "Yes, well, he's starting a new production and thought I might like to invest. Wants me to fly out to New York this weekend."

"Oh, Dr. Crane, how exciting!" Daphne said. "I've always wanted to see New York City. It always looks so beautiful on televison!"

"Say, Daphne, how would you like to come with me?" Niles asked. He hadn't planned to do this, but when he saw the way Daphne's eyes lit up, he couldn't resist it.

"That's lovely, but I'd hate to impose on your visit with your friend," Daphne said.

"It's no imposition," Niles replied. "As I said, Maxwell and I haven't spoken in some time. He hasn't heard about my...situation with Maris. He offered me two plane tickets." He'd originally planned to call Maxwell that evening and explain that a second ticket wasn't necessary. But since it'd already been offered, and Daphne wanted to go, how could he not ask her?

Daphne looked over at the other two Cranes. The older Dr. Crane was staring at his younger brother in amazement. His father seemed to also be speechless. "I know it isn't time for me usual vacation, but I've never seen New York. I've always wanted to go there!"

Frasier did not look at Daphne, instead staring at his brother. "Are you sure this is...wise?" he asked. Here his younger brother was, newly separated. He'd always been infatuated with Daphne, and now he was inviting her on a trip?

"Frasier, it's just a trip. For three days, not a month-long tour of Europe," Niles replied, annoyed. "I'm merely asking Daphne along for company. It's a five-hour flight. I wouldn't mind having a friend there to talk to. And, clearly, she'd love to see the city. So what's the harm?"

Frasier sighed. Where Daphne was concerned, there was no talking to Niles. His mind was already made up. He turned to her. "All right, Daphne, you may go. I'm sure Dad won't mind taking a break from his excercises."

"I think Fras and I can manage by ourselves for a couple of days!" Martin said.

Immediately Daphne hugged both of them. "Thank you, Dr. Crane! Ooh, this is so exciting. I better go and start packing me bags!" With that, she rushed off toward her room.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of days later, Niles and Daphne sat next to each other on an airplane in first class. He could hardly believe Daphne was here with him. "I've never been in first class before," Daphne told him. "Usually I'm stuck back there in coach next to some rude, unpleasant person for the whole flight."

Unable to think clearly enough to respond, Niles merely nodded and smiled at her.

"I'm sure you must be looking forward to seeing your friend again," Daphne continued, unfazed by Niles' silence. "And it was awfully nice of you to invite me along."

"It was my pleasure," Niles finally said. Suddenly he remembered something he'd wanted to discuss with her. "About our sleeping arrangements...Maxwell told me he has a guest room in his house. Apparently the place is quite big. But of course, when we get there, I'll explain that we'll be needing separate rooms. I wouldn't dream of infringing on your privacy, or making you uncomfortable." The idea of sharing a room with Daphne conjured up many wonderful scenarios in Niles' mind. But since she had no idea how he felt about her, he tried his best not to dwell on the possibilities.

"Dr. Crane, that's very sweet of you," Daphne said. The smile she gave him made his head spin. He looked down and saw she'd put her forearm on the armrest between them. He could not resist putting his next to it, so that their fingers just barely touched. Daphne blushed immediately. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want the armrest?" she asked.

"No, that's quite all right, Daphne. We can share."

The flight attendants began the emergency briefing, and soon their plane took off. "Isn't this exciting?" Daphne asked. "It's like we're going on an adventure!"

_Just being with you is exciting_, Niles thought. But he couldn't make himself say the words out loud. So, instead, he looked out the window. He marveled at how small things seemed from up here. Huge buidings and cars looked like miniatures. The silence between him and Daphne grew longer and longer. Finally, he worked up the courage to turn back to her. "So, Daphne, is there anything in particular you'd like to do in New York?"

"Well, I've been reading a few travel brochures your brother gave me. Of course I'd love to see the Statue of Liberty, and maybe Central Park. But I know I may not have time to see much, if you're going to be busy with your friend. I'd hate to be a bother."

"You could never be a bother," Niles replied immediately. "I'm sure we can work those things into our schedule. I haven't been to New York in years, so I wouldn't mind seeing some of that myself. Who knows when you'll be back here again? So you might as well make the most of it while you're here, right?"

Daphne smiled at him again. "I can't thank you enough for bringing me on this trip. I've always wanted to visit New York, but I think I'd be too scared to do it alone. I'm so glad I have someone with me that I can trust." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

Niles had to work to catch his breath. Not only from Daphne's touch, but her words as well. He hadn't expected it at all. None of it. When he had finally recovered from the shock, he held on to her hand and said, "Don't worry, Daphne. I would never let anything happen to you."


	3. Chapter 3

Hours later, Niles and Daphne's plane landed at JFK. They quickly retrieved their luggage and met the car Maxwell had sent for them. Daphne was awestruck when she saw the limousine pulled up, and she realized it was theirs. "Wow," she said. "Your friend must be doing well, if he can afford a car like this!"

Niles shrugged. "Maxwell comes from a weathy family, but he still wanted to make his own way. When I spoke to him the other day, it sounded like he's gotten back on his feet. I remember how devastated he was when Sara died."

"I've seen that sort of thing in me work, too. Losing a spouse is difficult. Even worse when there are children left behind." Daphne looked down, saddened by the thought of someone living the rest of his or her life without their true love.

Niles reached over and took her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you! Death is a sad thing, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy life, does it? Look at Dad. He's gone on with his life since Mom passed away. And of course, a lot of that is thanks to you taking such good care of him."

Daphne lifted her head. "Thank you, Dr. Crane." She kissed his cheek. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better!"

Niles felt his heart race and his face grow warm from Daphne's kiss. He could think of no appropriate response, so he was grateful when the driver pulled to a stop in front of a large mansion. "Here we are, the Sheffield place." Niles nodded at the driver, then opened his door to get out. He carefully reached back into the vehicle to help Daphne out. He walked her up to the front door, while the driver unloaded their bags. Niles reached over and rang the doorbell.

The door was immediately opened. "Niles!" Before Daphne even knew what was happening, Dr. Crane was embracing the man who'd answered the door.

"Max, it's good to see you!" Niles said, clapping his friend on the back.

Maxwell turned to the brunette standing next to Niles. "You're not _Maris_, are you?" he asked.

Daphne laughed. "No, I'm Daphne. Daphne Moon."

Max smiled as he shook her hand. "You're from England, aren't you?"

Daphne smiled. "Manchester."

Max turned to Niles, winking knowingly.

Niles blushed slightly. "No, Daphne's just a...friend. She helps take care of my father. Daphne, this is Maxwell Sheffield."

"It's so nice to meet you," Daphne said. "Dr. Crane never mentioned you were an English gent! And I must say, you're even more handsome in person than in your picture!"

Niles suddenly felt queasy. Why hadn't he realized Daphne would find Max charming? He remembered his school days. It had been the same back then.

"Well, thank you," Max said. "Come in, I want you two to meet the rest of my family." Standing just behind him in the living room were three children: two girls, and a boy. And next to them was a woman with the biggest hair Daphne had ever seen. "These are my three wonderful chilren," Max explained. "Margaret, Brighton and Grace. And this is -"

"I'm Fran," said the woman. "I'm the nanny."

Niles flinched when he heard her voice. "That's an...interesting accent you have."

Fran blushed. "I'm from Flushing. If you like my accent, you should hear my laugh." She laughed out loud. The sound was even more nasal than her speech. If that were possible.

Niles stood there, speechless. He'd never met anyone like Fran in his entire life. But Fran didn't seem to be bothered by his silence.

"So, Mr. Sheffield tells me your name is Niles, and that you're a rich doctor. We have a Niles here, too. But he's just a yenta butler. He's off on vacation this week."

Niles squinted, trying to remember something. "Niles...is he that boy who followed you around all the time, constantly cleaning your dorm room?"

Max laughed. "That's him. Well, Niles, old man, it seems we have quite a bit of catching up to do! Why don't we go into my office? I'll make us some drinks, and we can talk there." The kids took this as their signal to go back to their rooms. "Fran, you don't mind keeping Daphne company, do you?"

"Oh, no, not at all, Mr. Sheffield," Fran said with an awkward laugh. As the two men walked out of the room, Fran and Daphne looked at each other suspiciously. What on earth could they possibly have in common?


	4. Chapter 4

Fran and Daphne stood there, watching each other in awkward silence. "Would you like to sit down?" Fran finally asked.

"All right," Daphne replied, smiling politely. She and Fran sat opposite each other on the sofa and overstuffed chair in Maxwell's living room.

"So, Daphne, tell me about yourself," Fran said.

"Well, I'm originally from Manchester, England. But I've been living in Seattle the past few years. I live with Dr. Crane's older brother, and I look after their father. He was a policeman, but now he's retired. Bullet in the hip."

"Oh. Well, that's a shame." Fran said.

"Mr. Crane's a stubborn old sod, but I love him like was me own," Daphne said. She couldn't help smiling as she thought about the man who'd become almost like a father to her.

Fran nodded. There was an awkward silence. Then she leaned forward, as if about to reveal a secret. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Daphne shrugged. "I suppose not."

"Are you...dating anyone?"

Daphne uttered a sarcastic laugh. "I spend most of me time with Dr. Crane's brother and his father. Doesn't really leave much time for a social life. But me friend Roz says-"

"Look, I don't want to be a yenta here -" At Daphne's confused look, Fran explained, "It's a Yiddish word. Means 'busybody.' Anyway, I don't want to be a yenta, but...well...I think your Dr. Crane in there has the hots for you!" Fran pointed in the direction of Maxwell's study.

"Why, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Daphne exclaimed. "He's newly separated from his wife. The poor thing's heartbroken and lonely."

"Before I came to work here, I was working in my boyfriend's bridal shop back in Flushing. It's a long story. I was basically surrounded by couples in love. These guys would be there, picking out tuxes, shirts, shoes, the works. You could tell most of them would rather be having root-canal work done. But every time they looked at their fiancee, they had this _look _on their face. You could just tell that they'd found the one. They would look at this girl like she was the most beautiful woman they ever saw. And, believe me, when people say 'love is blind,' they're not kidding. But that's a whole other story!"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Daphne asked.

"Because," Fran said. "It's the same look I saw Dr. Crane give you before. You look like a nice person, and I figure you should at least know."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Daphne said.

"I'm not telling you to go jump into bed with him!" Fran said, exasperated. "Although..." She winked at Daphne and laughed. The sound caused Daphne to flinch involuntarily. "Just think about it, all right?"


	5. Chapter 5

As Daphne got ready for bed, she thought over what Fran had said. How on earth could she know what was going on in Dr. Crane's mind? She had barely even spoken to him! She hadn't seen how hard divorce had been on him. Daphne had done what she could to be kind to him, offering compliments and such whenever possible. But she could tell he was still hurting. The only cure for pain like that was time. And even then, Dr. Crane would most likely look elsewhere for companionship. After all, he spent most of his free time attending wine club events and other high-society functions. There would be no shortage of women who would be eager to be with him whenever he was ready to move on.

Though the room Daphne was given to sleep in was small, belonging to the family butler, it was comfortable enough. It even reminded her a bit of her room back in Seattle. She had little trouble falling asleep, thanks to jet lag.

The next morning, Daphne was awakened by a knock on her bedroom door. "Daphne? It's me, Niles."

Daphne quickly got out of bed and put her robe on before peeking her head out of the door. "Morning, Dr. Crane."

"Oh, I hope I didn't wake you," Niles replied, surprised to see her in her nightgown and robe.

"That's all right," Daphne replied with a smile. "What did you want?"

_To spend the rest of my life with you_, Niles thought. But instead, he simply blushed and said, "Maxwell has some business to attend to at the theater today, so I thought now would be a good time to show you Central Park. If you're still interested, I mean."

"That sounds lovely," Daphne said. "Just give me a minute to get changed, and I'll be right with you."

"Take your time," Niles replied. He went back downstairs to give Daphne her privacy.

Quickly Daphne dressed for the day and made her way downstairs. She could hardly believe she was finally going to see New York City. Back when she was a girl in Manchester, she would never have imagined she'd be staying at the home of a wealthy Broadway producer.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she smelled something good. She followed the scent to the Sheffields' dining room, where a large plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast sat in front of an empty chair. This was accompanied by a large glass of orange juice. Dr. Crane stood nearby, watching her. "What's all this?" Daphne asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"Breakfast," Niles said.

"You made all this?" Daphne asked. Niles nodded. "You shouldn't have! I hardly know what to say, Dr. Crane!"

Niles blushed slightly at the unexpected compliment. "I know at home, you do all the cooking. But this is your vacation, so I thought it was time you had a day off."

Daphne sat down, realizing for the first time that she was hungry. "Oh, Dr. Crane, this is wonderful. I had no idea you could cook like this!"

Once again, Niles felt his cheeks redden. "When you live on your own, you either learn how to cook, or else starve. Or order a lot of takeout."

"When we get back home, I owe you a breakfast," Daphne said. "Just show up at your brother's first thing in the morning, and I'll make you whatever you want!"

Niles felt a rush of love for her. It seemed only right to do this, considering how much she did for his father and brother. Not to mention how much she'd done for _him_. He made small talk while Daphne ate. She continued to rave about his cooking, thoroughly embarrassing Niles. When she'd finally cleaned her plate, she insisted on clearing the table herself. Once that chore was out of the way, Niles reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Shall we go?" he asked. "Our carriage awaits."

Daphne gasped in surprise. "Where did you get a car?"

"Maxwell lent me the keys to his town car," Niles answered. As he walked Daphne out and helped her into the car, he nearly had to pinch himself. This trip was almost too good to be true. Not only was he able to reconnect with an old friend, but now he had a chance to spend an entire day with Daphne, showing her all the sights of New York City. He couldn't think of anything he'd rather do, today, or any other day.


	6. Chapter 6

When Niles and Daphne walked out of the parking garage where they'd left the car, Daphne let out a gasp at the sight of the huge park. "I had no idea it was so big!"

"I know," Niles agreed. "You wouldn't think a city like New York would have a park like this. Where would you like to go first?"

"I don't know," Daphne replied, her eyes still taking it all in.

"Well, let's just start walking then. All right?" Niles asked. He wanted her to enjoy this day as much as he certainly would.

Daphne nodded, and they began to walk into the park. When she saw people walking their dogs, she laughed. "Your father would love this place. Eddie would, too."

"Dad would," Niles agreed. "But I don't think he'd like all this walking."

Daphne scoffed. "He could do with a bit more excercise. He spends half the day just sitting in that bloody chair of his!"

Niles laughed. He loved that Daphne wasn't afraid to speak her mind sometimes.

"I do love your father, though," Daphne said quietly.

"I know you do, Daphne." Niles said. He looked into her eyes, hoping she would see just how much he apprciated the way she cared about others.

"I love your brother, too. And you, of course."

Niles had to remind himself to breathe. He knew Daphne didn't mean it in any romantic sense, but he was willing to accept friendship. Just enjoying her company was enough.

For a few moments, the two walked in silence. Daphne let out a sad sort of sigh.

"Something on your mind?" Niles asked. "I may not be Frasier, but I can still listen."

"Well, as much as I love being a part of your family, I sometimes wonder..."

"What?" Niles asked. He stopped walking and gently took hold of Daphne's hand.

A tear suddenly fell down Daphne's cheek. Niles had to resist the urge to kiss her. But he knew that doing so would only make the situation worse. "What's the matter?" he asked again.

"It's just that I see your friend Maxwell with his beautiful home, and his three children. And what have I got?"

"You've got a family who loves you very much," Niles said immediately. "I had no idea this was upsetting you this way."

"I feel so silly, standing here in the middle of this beautiful park, crying me eyes out. I must look awful!"

Immediately, Niles took her in his arms, gently rubbing her back. "It's OK," he said. When her sobs seemed to subside a bit, he managed to lead her to a nearby bench.

"This has been on me mind for months now," Daphne revealed. "I'm so grateful to have you all in me life. But I just wonder if I'll ever have a place of me own. Is that so terrible?"

"Of course not," Niles replied. "I just...wish you'd told me you were feeling this way."

"You listen to people's problems all day!" Daphne exclaimed. "Besides, it's probably me own fault, spending so much time taking care of your father. No wonder no man wants to be with me."

"That's not true," Niles said, in a voice even he could barely hear.

"What?" Daphne asked.

"Nothing," Niles said immediately. He felt the start of a nosebleed.

"Dr. Crane, what did you say?"

"I said...it's not true that no one wants you."

Daphne stared at him in surprise. "What?"

Niles tried to open his mouth. But his words were caught in his throat.

As Daphne sat there, staring into his blue eyes, she remembered her conversation with Fran last night. "Fran was right," she whispered.

"I'm sorry. What?" Niles asked, now confused.

"While you and Maxwell were in the study, last night, Fran asked me if I was seeing anybody. Of course, I told her no. And she told me that you were in love with me. Well, that's not exactly how she put it, but I think that was the general idea," Daphne said with a laugh.

"Well, whatever Max is paying her, it's clearly not enough!" Niles said.

"So it's true then? You do love me?"

"Oh, yes," Niles replied, finally reaching over to brush away a tear that remained on her cheek. Daphne smiled at the gesture, reaching up to cover his hand with hers. Slowly, Niles leaned forward, gently kissing her lips. Though the kiss did not last, Niles knew he would remember it forever.

They spent the rest of the day strolling through Central Park, talking, laughing, and of course kissing several more times. When dusk began to set in, they made their way back to the car, still hand in hand. When they arrived back at the Sheffield mansion, they held hands as they walked to the door. Just before entering the house, Niles and Daphne sat on a bench on the Sheffield's front porch. Once more, Niles kissed Daphne, knowing he could never get enough of this. "I love you, Daphne," he said.

Daphne leaned forward, kissed him back, and said, "I love you, too...Niles."

As the kisses continued, neither was aware that just inside the house, Fran stood watching at the door, beaming proudly.

**The End**


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